Needs

Don't get me wrong, I'm just as selfish and everybody else, but tonight just wasn't the time for it.

One of our members had been having some frustration issues with the way some people spar. They just crush her, and force movements that would never work on a larger partner. As a result, she hasn't been rolling at all.

I asked her to spar a round with me. She agreed, and away we went. I didn't muscle or squish, and we both moved about like greased lightning. I had fun, and got to do a lot of stuff. I hope she found it more to her liking. After our round, she headed off to change.

My partner for the next round is an old friend. He used to train with us and was a hair's breadth from earning a Blue Belt. Unfortunately, he got his shoulder destroyed in an MMA match. He's been off for about forever and a day. Tonight, he was back on the mat. I worked with him a bit during class. He must have been feeling OK, as he stayed to spar.

I rolled at a pace he could handle, and stuck to defence. He got to try whatever he wanted. For having been gone so long he did just fine. With me, he got to try whatever he wanted with no risk of re-injury.

I stayed for one more partner. On Saturday Scott will be competing in a Jiu-Jitsu tournament in the city. He's been desperate to get the toughest sparring he can. Tonight my third partner was Scott.

It used to be I could tap him out pretty much at will. He's been training hard for the last six months or so, and been improving by leaps and bounds. Since my knee injury back in April we haven't rolled together hard, so I have had no way of measuring how much his rolling has changed under pressure.

Tonight, we rolled pretty intensely. He didn't get any submissions on me, but I didn't score on him either. He didn't have to tap, and I was trying hard.

Three partners tonight, and all had different needs.

The first needed a partner who would fight as if he matched her in size and strength. The second needed somebody to act as a gentle reintroduction to rolling who would protect his injury. The third needed somebody who would fight hard to help him prepare for tournament competition.

We all have needs, but tonight it wasn't about mine.